Democrat Blogs Reluctantly Condemn Brian Schweitzer

June 22, 2014 in Montana

by lizard

The whoring DiFi analogy and gaydar comments Brian Schweitzer made recently forced two Montana Democrat political blogs to half-heartedly condemn The Brian’s antics, which made for some entertaining reading.

At Intelligent Discontent, Don Pogreba kept it short and tried feebly to minimize the impact of Brian’s indiscretion by saying essentially those meanie Republicans have said worse:

Former Governor Brian Schweitzer apologized for his insensitive sexist and homophobic remarks about Dianne Feinstein and Eric Cantor, suggesting, at least, that the former Governor knows he was wrong. There is no defending what Schweitzer had to say, but the spectacle of Montana and national conservatives falling all over themselves to condemn Schweitzer when they’ve not only said worse, but enacted legislation that put bigotry into practice, certainly makes it difficult not to be a cynic about politics. It’s also especially cynical for former Baucus staff member Jim Messina, who was responsible for the profoundly homophobic Mike Taylor ad to be quoted calling Schweitzer the “most overrated pol (in) memory,” and [saying] that “offensive comments and bolo ties don’t get you (the president of the United States).”

I know it’s difficult for Democrat loyalists to criticize one of their own, especially when our former Governor was their best chance at holding the Senate seat vacated by perennial corporate whore and destroyer of single payer health care, Max Baucus. But the fact Brian crammed both feet into his mouth by being “insensitive” to both women and the LGBT community made some sort of response necessary.

Over at the MT Cowgirl blog that necessary response is even more hilarious. Claiming to be a “feminist” blog, the “Cowgirl” had to address their former boss political champion who once delighted with antics like veto-branding on the steps of the capitol. Here is how the post begins:

Two days ago, it was revealed that Brian Schweitzer said his “gaydar” detected something in Eric Cantor and that it might have been the reason conservatives voted against him; that southern men are often “effeminate sounding;” and, that Dianne Feinstein’s willingness to give the NSA a blank check, coupled with her later criticism of the NSA, is the equivalent of a hooker saying she’s a nun.

Not Schweitzer’s finest moment and comments that must here, on a feminist blog, be condemned. The remarks about Cantor and southerners are not appropriate; the Feinstein remark is not exactly a wise or feminist thing to say about a female politician.

Can you hear the reluctance? I certainly can. But to maintain the Cowgirl brand, this post had to be written. But don’t worry, Brian lovers, the Cowgirl won’t take “her” kid gloves off:

I do suppose calling a politician a whore is a unisex thing too: you do hear the phrase uttered all the time equally about male politicians who sell themselves to the highest bidder. Nevertheless, had a GOP member said these things I’d have enjoyed slamming him, so here must we too must too denounce the democrat for the utterance. That said, those who know Schweitzer know that his record bears no resemblance to these remarks, something that has not been remarked upon in all the coverage. He has always been a social progressive and especially so on women’s issues. So the incident has a strange asymmetry to it.

They have often said that Schweitzer’s strengths are his weaknesses, and lately he is certainly the victim of what has often been a great strength: always trying to serve up a new, different, provocative and fresh dish to the voter and the consumer of politics. But the customer, this week, got a bad piece of fish which is being returned to the kitchen. The chef has apologized. He went on Facebook yesterday to do so, and I suspect we’ll see him reiterate early and often, as media personalities must do these days.

This part of the post offers an interesting feminist perspective on the use of the term “whore” in politics. It’s a unisex thing, says the Cowgirl, which I helpfully preempted by accurately referring to Baucus as such. Then the Cowgirl dishes up a culinary analogy drenched in weak sauce.

To sum up the post, the Cowgirl explains why so many people, including some Democrats, are enjoying watching Schweitzer crash and burn:

Schweitzer has also taken his lumps inside Montana, with state legislators and political activists of both parties expressing their disappointment on Facebook and Twitter. The piling on is not surprising at all. Schweitzer played a zero-sum game as governor in which you either had to join him or beat him, and if you lost he liked to squish you like a mosquito on the wall. It was what made the administration successful and also good political theater, but it also earned him many enemies. I can’t wait to hear what they say about it all at the Montana GOP convention this weekend.

So conservatives, but also the various democrats in the orbits of Jon Tester and Max Baucus who never warmed to Schweitzer and were never happy about the amount of water he displaced from the pool, are today enjoying some Big Sky Schadenfreude*. Now we will see if Schweitzer can recover and return to form.

It’s funny to watch this “feminist” blog try to depict Brian’s comments as having a “strange asymmetry” that somehow deviates from his usual form. My hunch is Schweitzer enjoyed some of that whiskey he likes talking about, which led him to express sentiments he has the good sense (when sober) not to articulate.

Regardless of the fallout, Schweitzer has too big of an ego to just ride off quietly into the sunset, especially when there are political whoring opportunities to take advantage of.